Lianne La Havas & Willy Mason - No Room For Doubt

Lianne La Havas and Willy Mason.
Yeah, Willy Mason! Perhaps I'm pedestrian but Where Humans Eat was my first and last Willy Mason experience, at the tender age of 16, until this Lianne La Havas true gem. True diamond.

I'm listening to Oxygen as I type, it really is worth all the hype that it had in its day.

Willy Mason - "Oxygen"

I'm a Big advocate for the free download of a gig in LA of Lianne's, it's personable and really really good. from here: http://www.liannelahavas.com/

And on a footnote, on the subject of the lyric 'pieces of me', do you think they were aware of the reminder it would bring to their listeners of Britney or Ashley Simpson? I hope so.

Alpines - Night Drive

This is lovely:
London duo Catherine Pockson and Robert Matthews. Pop-y and electro-y and warming. Produced by Craig Silvey who's CV can proudly claim the likes of The Coral and The Magic Numbers.

David J. Roch

I first heard David J. Roch play in 100 Club sometime last year. It was about the time that serious questions were being asked about the venue staying open. I'd never been before, and was very excited to go to a place so monumental and steeped in so many artists' history. Needless to stay it hasn't closed, and I've been back several times. David was supporting Andy Burrows, I Am Arrows. It was a great gig and I remember leaving thinking that the supporting acts were a brilliant fit and that I enjoyed them.

I have been on David's email list since and enjoy reading his updates and look forward to opening them when I see he's sent another. Mostly the notes consist of gig dates, which happen, for the main part in London or his homestead of Sheffield. Of late, he has started offering guestlist and free tickets via the email portal too. I can't find a email subscription page, but his Twitter page is just as informative I'm sure. http://twitter.com/#!/davidjroch.

I haven't seen David live since the first time, though I would very much like to. Today I revisited his music and rediscovered how much I like it. Bones, for example, is so dreamy and beautiful. Lyrically, it is stunning, and evokes such vivid imagery, 'these bones held in place with skin'. The pace of the song is such that you can really appreciate the lyrics. There's a clever little bouncy, humming guitar underneath to keep it rhythmic, and at about two minutes in there comes a tinkling glockenspiel which splits the record in two parts, the first observationally emotional Whenever you leave, you pull them tight and choke my heart., the second is questioning and more defensive and sad, 'Why can't you be kind, once in a while to me?'.

   

Here is him on Soundcloud. http://soundcloud.com/david-j-roch/tracks

Don't judge me before you watch this. Muppets new trailor.

Oh wow

seriously.

GIRLS - Father Son Holy Ghost

I saw a guy at Secret Garden Festival last year who had a Girls t-shirt and since then I've really wanted one but can't find one anywhere!

I'm listening to the album in full on The Guardian website and have just discovered Vomit, the hole gorgeous six minutes of it. A slow, melodic and calm build up that reminds me a lot of Sonic Youth. There's a big powerful chorus dotted through melancholic then powerful verses, a touch of In Rainbows in there maybe. Big guitar. Calm again before this amaaazing gospel voice comes in, it was a bit of a shock the first time round to be honest, but I love it on the third listen. Download for free from their Facebook http://www.facebook.com/GIRLSsf?sk=app_151079988301527

Iceage New Brigade

Are these kids the most exciting band to hit punk? Or are they stupid? Iceage are on the rise from Copenhagen. In the class of The New Way of Danish Fuck You, also including Sexdrome, Scavenger Brats et al. Apparently this name was originally meant to be The New Wave of Danish Fuck You but someone spelled their tattoo wrong! Fail.

I watched the video for Iceage's New Brigade after having read their interview in NME yesterday. The main gist of the interview was that the band are a group of young, polite boys who don't really want to talk to anyone. NME bribed them with beer and cigarettes.
Watching the video, this feeling of their desperation to grow up continues, it's trying to be fucked up and scary, except it's all shot in the daytime and the closest thing to crazy (hello Katie Melua ref, wasn't expecting that) they get to is a gammy finger being pointed at the camera. The KKK references, according to the NME interview, are meaningless. I'm sure these kids aren't racist, they are trying to shock their audience which is really really hard to do. I get why they're doing it but it's come out a little naively and i don't think enough effort has been put into it in order to pull it off. Opinions welcome.

Having said that I think the record is wicked. Angsty and detached and just a bit cool, much like a Danish teenager.

Iceage - New Brigade from iceage on Vimeo.

James Blake and Bon Iver - Fall Creek Boys Choir

Best collaboration ever, James Blake and Bon Iver make Fall Creek Boys Choir. The first time I listened to this, I got nothing, after some perseverance, I'm now on my sixth or seventh playcount and couldn't tell you how amazing it is.

Oop, make that eight.